Jimmy Giuffre: 1963-1973

[Late]

After the magnificent Free Fall, Giuffre recordings are hard to come by until his Choice recordings of the early 70's. I know that teaching obligations were partly responsible from keeping him from recording, but were other forces at play? Indifference to his music in the wake of "jazz spirituality" or the like?

I have one concert recording from 1965 with Don Friedman and Barre Phillips, and it's amazing. Two compositions ("Drive" and "Syncopate") that I can't find anywhere else — and the music is just as challenging and forward-thinking as anything that Coltrane played during the same time frame. Giuffre also (allegedly) had a trio with Richard Davis and Joe Chambers, circa 1966. Maybe private tapes exist.

It's frustrating that such talent was so sparely documented.

Please share your thoughts/observations, and if you've heard any recordings from the "wilderness years" (Richard Cook and Brian Morton's term) of 1963-1973.

[Joe]

I'm afraid I have no insights of my own, but do you know Martin Williams' essay "Jimmy Giuffre at Home"? It can be found in his WHERE'S THE MELODY, the full contents of which are available online via the Internet Archive.

http://www.archive.org/details/wheresthemelody002622mbp

The piece, in part, documents a rehearsal by the Giuffre / Friedman / Peacock trio.

[jeffcrom]

That 1965 Paris recording is the only one I know from those years. I love it - the more the audience derisively whistles, the wilder Giuffre plays.

The musicians and music-readers here can gain a lot of insight into Giuffre's thinking during those years if you can find a copy of his 1969 book Jazz Phrasing and Interpretation. It's one of the few "jazz education" books I've seen that delves deeply into free, atonal jazz. And it's one of those books I pull out when I'm practicing and want some material which will kick my ass.

Edited December 6, 2011 by jeffcrom

[Pete C]

I never knew the music of the Bley-Swallow trio before I saw the group at the Montreal Jazz Festival in 1991, I think at the beginning of their little comeback (after a while Peacock started subbing for Swallow). In a sense, not knowing what to expect made it that much more sublime.

[Late]

Joe, thanks for the heads-up on the Williams essay. I didn't know about it. Here's a direct link for those that would like to read it. Man, Giuffre recorded that session ...

Jeff, thanks too for the heads-up on Giuffre's book. I didn't know about that either. Incidentally, the first Google hit for this book is your blog! Amazon currently has a used copy for $165. I'd like to see that last exercise you mention with bar-less music. I imagine the book is more engaging than Oliver Nelson's (that's the one I had; not a bad book, but it does have its limitations).

Here's a 2003 article by Rex Butters that answers some questions about Giuffre's "wilderness" years. In addition to teaching, Giuffre was effectively freelancing during this time: among other things, recording two movie soundtracks, composing and playing for a dance entitled The Castle, doing commercial work, and performing as a hand model! I'd actually read this article (eight years ago), but had forgotten about it.

Is Juanita Giuffre still with us? She has to be sitting on some great home recordings. Some day, maybe, those will be able to see the light of day. That'd be something else.

Yggdrasill!

[jeffcrom]

Jeff, thanks too for the heads-up on Giuffre's book. I didn't know about that either. Incidentally, the first Google hit for this book is your blog! Amazon currently has a used copy for $165. I'd like to see that last exercise you mention with bar-less music.

Exercise #1 is pretty unusual, too: eight measures of whole rests (at 138 beats per minute). The student is instructed to "mentally picture the beat." A pretty great exercise, actually.

[brownie]

This double CD is probably hard to get nowadays but it is worth looking for

One of the last appearance (1992) on record by Giuffre.

Giuffre discusses his career on the first CD. He appears with André Jaume on the second disc.

[flat5]

IMO, he confused his fan base by "Free Fall". The record company dropped him.

[gvopedz]

This double CD is probably hard to get nowadays but it is worth looking for

One of the last appearance (1992) on record by Giuffre.

Giuffre discusses his career on the first CD. He appears with André Jaume on the second disc.

JazzLoft has it:

http://www.jazzloft.com/p-52671-talks-plays.aspx

[JohnS]

I saw the '65 trio in London. It certainly wasn't what I expected. They shared the bill with Art Blakey, the band with Lee Morgan and John Gilmore. Quite a conrast.

[relyles]

I have never heard the '65 trio, but am intrigued.

[colinmce]

There are two options available for the 1965 material which pair it with 1960 concert recordings, also from France. The CDs can be found easily enough on Amazon.

Needless to say there's no official release of the material.

edit: links removed.

Edited December 6, 2011 by colinmce

[Son-of-a-Weizen]

Are those both bootlegs?

[colinmce]

Oops, yes they are. I'll take the links down.

[JohnS]

I don't know, are they boots? Are these French Radio/Europe 1 releases bootlegs.

[colinmce]

I guess I assumed ... maybe they aren't.

[JETman]

Europe 1/Trema is legit. Not so sure about Delta. I have a Miles concert boot from the 80s on that label.

[JSngry]

Yeah, don't think that Delta is at all legit. But Europe 1/Trema owns the recordings as per terms of the original broadcast agreement, or so we've been told. No reason to think otherwise.

[Chuck Nessa]

The Delta might have been licensed so let us not get too excited.

[JSngry]

But...I've already loaded the gun!

[Chuck Nessa]

Your from TX, go ahead. We will check back later.

[JSngry]

Believe me, if there weren't neighbors in the line of fire, there'd be some squirrels running for cover right now, and hopefully not making it.

[brownie]

Yeah, don't think that Delta is at all legit. But Europe 1/Trema owns the recordings as per terms of the original broadcast agreement, or so we've been told. No reason to think otherwise.

Don't know fore sure about Delta but the Europe 1/Trema releases were all legal.

When the Thelonious Monk, Roland Kirk, Charles Mingus et al estates went after Esoldun for their releases of INA material (and won), they did not touch the Europe 1 deal.

Too bad that the Europe 1 jazz archives remain dormant nowadays. Still wish someone would dig out the 1959 Lester Young broadcast from the Europe 1 studio off the Champs-Elysées avenue:

[Joe]

Listening again to Giuffre's 70's recordings... I guess he must have spent part of this down-time adding flute to his instrumental "arsenal." He'd not previously recorded any performances on this instrument, correct?

[colinmce]

Can't be sure but I wouldn't be surprised if he did ensemble work with it in the 50s. But yeah, I don't think he soloed on it previously.